The Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions of regional and/or national importance to the asphalt industry.

Acott, the 2013 Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame inductee, was inaugurated into the hall of fame at a ceremony Wednesday morning during NAPA’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, Florida.

Ron White of Superior Paving in Virginia, who was the chairman of the NAPA Board of Directors in 2007, introduced Acott during the induction ceremony.

John Keating, 2013 chairman of the NAPA Board of Directors, noted that Acott’s leadership and contributions to the industry.

“The Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize Mike Acott for his outstanding leadership and for his many contributions to the asphalt industry,” Keating said. “He has been an ambassador for the asphalt industry on the national level for nearly four decades.”

Acott’s early work in the industry began with his employment at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory for the sand and gravel industry. In the early 1970s, he moved to South African to work as a research engineer for the South African National Institute for Transportation and Road Research. While there, he also worked with Mobil Oil’s bitumen operations, managed a road construction subsidiary and earned his Master of Science in Civil Engineering. His thesis focused on the use of foamed asphalt.

Acott moved to the U.S. and joined NAPA in the mid-1980’s and has been president of the association since 1992. During his time with NAPA, Acott has advocated for innovation in asphalt pavements and encouraged strategies for improving in the workplace for asphalt workers and improving asphalt’s sustainability.

He has directed the launch of national initiatives on Perpetual Pavements, stone-matrix asphalt, large-stone mixtures, rubblization, and warm-mix asphalt. He has sought the input of contractors, the Federal Highway Administration, state departments of transportation, and the state asphalt pavement associations throughout his career and has helped guide the successful deployment of these innovations.

Acott has also worked with counterparts at asphalt pavement associations internationally to spread knowledge and innovation. He served as Global Asphalt Pavement Alliance until 2013, during which time he facilitated the transfer of technologies across international borders, benefiting asphalt producers in the U.S. and other countries.

He insisted upon a transparent, collaborative approach to issues surrounding asphalt fumes and silica, with strategies involving industry, labor, government and academia. His approach lead to a favorable IARC classification of asphalt fumes for the industry and has been recognized as a model for successful partnering between regulators and industry.

Now, Acott continues to work to build knowledge and to encourage the development and implementation of new technologies in the U.S. and around the world.